The city of Fatima is a place of mass pilgrimage of believers after the famous events of the beginning of the 1917th century. In 13, three local children, who in Portugal are called "three shepherds", became, according to their stories, witnesses of the apparitions of the Mother of God. The Virgin Mary asked to pray for sinners on the XNUMXth of every month. At first, the church was wary of the children's stories, but at the request of the residents, a small Apparition Chapel was built here.
The three shepherdesses are children who declared the miraculous apparition of the Mother of God
Pilgrims 20s of the XX century
In the 20s, the number of believers who gathered here every month reached 50 thousand people. After the canonical process in 1930, Bishop Leiria declared the miracle of the appearance of the Mother of God to be authentic, and the Neo-Baroque Basilica of the Mother of God of the Rosary, designed by the Dutch architect Gerard van Kriken, appeared next to the chapel.
The Basilica of the Holy Rosary and the process of reconstruction in the square - the construction of the outer altar. 2016
The 65-meter bell tower of the light stone basilica is crowned with a bronze crown with a cross, and the facade is decorated with marble sculptures of angels. The main entrance is marked by a mosaic depicting the Trinity, made in the Vatican workshops.
Basilica of the Holy Trinity, built in 2007
In 2007, another church was built to the south of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary - in honor of the Holy Trinity - according to the project of the Greek architect Alexandros Tombazis in collaboration with the engineer Jose Mota Freitas. Unique from an engineering point of view, the structure - a round basilica 18 meters high and 185 meters in diameter - became one of the largest Catholic temples in the world.
Interior of the Basilica of the Holy Trinity
Colonnade connecting shrines
Layout of the architectural ensemble before the construction of the outer altar
All the sacred objects of the Sanctuary of Fatima are concentrated around a huge area the size of several football fields. In 2013, a decision was made to expand the prayer space at the exit from the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary. This is how the ministers prepared for the visit of Pope Francis, which was planned for May 2017, in honor of the centenary of the Miracle of the Manifestation.
Photo: Fernando Guerra
Portuguese architect Paula Santos designed an external architectural altar, integrated it into the staircase complex. The altar and choir, where the service takes place, is protected by a canopy with an area of 600 square meters. A fiberglass plane with a snow-white coating (white is the official color of all churches in Portugal) rests on just one laconic block of white concrete.
Photo: Fernando Guerra
Photo: Fernando Guerra
The simple, at first glance, minimalist design is based on modern functional qualities - the canopy shelters the clergy from the sun, providing also exceptional acoustics, and technical communications and the entrance to the underground sacristy and chapel are hidden behind decorative mirror screens.
Photo: Fernando Guerra
Photo: Fernando Guerra
The external altar provided accessibility to services for people with disabilities, who previously had to climb the long stairs leading to the basilica. In the process of reconstruction, the old colonnade, which embraces the square on both sides, was also strengthened.
Pilgrims gathered in Fatima greet Pope Francis. May 13, 2017
